Medical cabinet fob



May 26, 1931. J. A. DONOHUE MEDICAL CABINET FOR LIGHT RAY TREATMENT Filed May 11, 1929 Patented May 26, 1,931

PATENT OFFICE JAMES A. DONOHUE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA MEDICAL CABINET FOR LIGHT RAY TREATMENT Application filed May 11, 1929. Serial No. 362,276.

The subject of my invention is a cabinet for the treatment of human heads or scalps with ultra-violet and with infra-red rays. This cabinet is provided with means for controlling the amount of rays falling upon the scalp being treated and with ventilating means for assing a current of warm air over the scalps eing treated and with means for regulating the amount of this air.

This cabinet is also designed so that one or more persons may efliciently utilize the rays of light which are produced.

For a more complete exposition of my invention reference may be had to the annexed drawings and specification at the end whereof my invention will be more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 represents a projection view of my device.

Figure 2 represents a cross-section through my device.

Referring to the drawings,

1 represents the casing or hood of my de- 5 vice which may be of pyramid, cone or other suitable shape. Spaced about this device are domes 2 each having a source of infra-red light 3 mounted therein. These domes are focused so that the rays fall on openings 5 in the bottom surface of the casing 1. These openings each being surrounded by flexible material so that a human head may be inserted therein.

Located centrally of the hood or casing 1 is a mercury quartz tube 4: which serves as a source of ultra-violet light.

Directly beneath tube 4 is located an inlet 7 having a fan 8 driven by a suitable source of ower 9 located therein.

paced away from the side walls of the casing 1 are placed mirrors or reflectors 10 which provide paths or shafts for air between said reflectors and the walls of the casing 1. These reflectors also serve to return the light rays, which have gone ofl in an upward direction, downward upon the scalps being treated. At the top or apex of the easmg 1 is mounted another reflector 11 which both serves to reflect rays and deflect a stream of air. The reflector 11 is adjustably mounted so as to provide a passage for a certain amount of air between the reflector 11 and. the casing 1 so as to permit the escape of air through the rent 12.

The path of the air is shown by the arrows in Figure 2, entering the inlet 7, passing vertically upward in the casing 1 past the tube 4 and serving to cool it and at the same time being heated thereby. The heated air or the greater portion thereof is then reflected by the reflector 11 and passes down through the shafts behind the reflectors 10 onto the scalps being treated. A portion of the air, depending upon the amount of heat, is allowed to escape through the vent 12. The means t provides an economical source of heated air which keeps the scalps being treated dry so as to obtain the most beneficial eifects from the rays falling upon them.

If it is desired to limit the amount of ultraviolet light falling upon one or more of the scalps being treated a screen 13 may be inserted so as to cut off one or more of the openings 5 from the rays emanating from the tubes 4. Screens 13 have an opening 14 therein opposite the air shaft so as not to interfere with the passage of air onto the scalp which is not being exposed to the full effect of the ultra-violet rays.

The effect of the operations of the device as described above is as follows. The action of the heat produced by the infra-red light source on the skin is to bring the blood close to the surface of the skin where it will be more readily acted upon by the ultra-violet light. Unfortunately, in living organisms, heating the surface of the skin produces perspiration which is opaque to ultra-violet light and which therefore cuts off the ultra-violet light from the skin and the blood. The ef- 65 cabinet; means feet of the heated blast of air is'to evaporate the perspiration and thus permit the ultra-violet light to operate upon the blood and skin. I claim:

1. Apparatus for the treatment of the scalp including in combination: a cabinet having an opening therein into which a head may be inserted exposing the scalp for treatment and having an air inlet opening therein, a fan mounted to draw cool air through said opening into said cabinet, means for conducting a steady, uniform stream of air onto the scalp being treated within said cabinet, means for controlling the amount of said air which is conducted to the head being treated, an outlet for air from said cabinet, a separate source of infra-red light located within said cabinet so that the infra-red rays are thrown directly on the scalp undergoing treatment, a separate source of ultra-violet light located within said cabinet so that the scalp undergoing treatment is exposed to said ultra-violet rays, and means movable into position for shuttin oil the scalp undergoing treatment from sa1d ultra-violet ra s.-

2. Apparatus for the treatment ot the scalp including in combination: a cabinet having an opening therein into which a head may be inserted exposing the scalp for treatment and having an air inlet opening therein, means surrounding said head opening to embrace the head inserted therein and form an airtight connection surrounding said head, a fan mounted to draw cool air through said air inlet into said cabinet, means for conducting a steady, uniform current of air onto the scalp being treated within said cabinet, means for changing the amount of the stream of air passed onto the scalp undergoing treatment, an outlet for air from said cabinet, a dome in said cabinet, a separate source of infra-red 1i ht within said dome located so that the in ra-red rays are thrown directly on the scalp undergoing treatment, a separate source of ultra-violet light located within said cabinet, so that the scalp undergoing treatment is exposed to said ultra-violet rays, and means movable into position for shutting ofl the scalp undergoing treatment from said ultra-violet rays.

\ 3. Apparatus for giving simultaneous, different treatments to a plurality of scalps, said ap aratus including in combination: a cabinet avin a plurality of openings therein into each 0 which a head may be inserted exposing the scalp for treatment and having an air inlet 0 ening therein; means surrounding each of the head openings to embrace the 60 head inserted therein and surround the head to form an air-tight connection; a fan mounted to draw cool air in through said inlet opening and to pass a steady, uniform stream of air onto the scalps being treated within the or varying the amount of 

